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FEDERATION MOVEMENT.

ADDRESS BY SIR HENRY PARKES.

Sir Henry Parkes delivered, at the School Hal Trafalgar-street, Annandnlo. last evening, an nddrcj OD tho federation of the Australian colonies and ti .'fiscal policy of tho futuro. Tho chair waa occupje 'by Alderman John Young (thc Mayor). Thora wei afeo amongst the gentlemen, on tho platform Mesan .Molesworth, W. Pritchard, Mahony. E. Dowling

rand Eagar.

Sir HENRY PARKES (wno was received with mue i «athnsiasm) said that ho had como there t

lairing under their notico tho grandest subject tba ?'coala over engage tho attention of the Australia! ;j*ople. (Applause.) And ho wished to perform hispar .tanita free from any political bias or political passion

The Bubject to which ho wished to direct thei attention was tho federation of tho Australia! colonies and tho fiscal policy of tho future H« thea eave a ekotch of tho history of tho move ment. He considered that tho proceedings since tin holding of tho Convoutiou which sat in Sydnoy ii Jlarch, 1891, had uot beou creditable to tho sovera Government* aa to intolligonco and decision. Tin local Parliaments had to bo educatn.! to look upon, ti consider in detail, so largo a (ju cs ti on ns tho bringing into existouco of au entirely now nation. That procos: of education had b^cn going on satisfactorily, Wherever thoy wont thoy would lind thero was u itcadv growth of tho ide/t of a federal Government, and tho sentiment of a nation was taking deep root. Ho gave a sketch of the condition of Australin geographically and politically, remarking incidentally mt Victoria had been tho most populous, but, thanks to tho stupid policy pursued by that colony, it was .not tho inofct populous now. (Cheers and dissent) Tho six colonies, with Tasmania, pos3osaedapopulatioii of nearly four millions. That population was equal (otho population of several of tho monarchies oi Europe, aud was larger than tho population Canada possessed when sho founded tho Dominion. Ho urged that tho colonies ought to become federatod for purposes of dofcuce, mid to guard against invasion by countless hordes of inferior races. Ho did not run down tho Chinaman, but ho did not 'want him here. (Applause.) Hu wanted to pre ' servo Australia for a pcoplo of his own blood and

religion. (Anplauso.) Then borrowing for tho colonies could* bo conducted with marked oconomy ' by a Federal Council, instead ot being conducted in

shreds and patches as waa tho case nt present They wanted ono Government, that would «peak with authority and with ono voico for tho four millions of people upon Australian soil. Now be came to a question which ho supposod would disturb soma gentlemen there. When tho fivo colonies on tho continent agreed to como under ono united Govornmont-ono great national Government of a federal character, thu Federal Parliament must toko over tho whole of tho Customs laws of Aus- tralia. (Applause.) Tho very moment thoy joined in a great national uuion that very moment tho Custom-houses on thoj borders would bo awopt away. (Applause.) That was not a matter of arrangement or a matter to bo Fettled by majorities, but it was a matter that would come about by tho inherent power of tho bond of union. Jt would not bo consistent to havo a federal uuion nnloss that fedoral union liad the powor by its Par- liament of making all the Custom-houao laws. Than, neither Now South Wales nor Victoria would havo any power to deal" with tho ilscal question, and tho man who said ho was a protectionist would havo no status, but would bo awopt away by the actjof union. Tho Customs laws of tho country would pass into tho bands of tho national Parliament It would bo impossible for them to bo u united ' people aud have Custom-houses planted between ono! eolonv and another us if they woro foreigners. ¡ (Applause) In connection with tho election ! pf "the Federal Parliament, hu would do Iiis i

utmost to eoud freetraders into tho National Parliament (Applause.) Tho chairman, he as mimed, would do his utmost to send pro- tectionists in-(npplause)-but in 110 other way would they be brought into conflict. Ho (Sir Henry Parkes) ranged himself in the army of those who in thc futuro would only support a "tariff against tho eutsido world for revenue purposes. Tho powor and infiuenci* of scparato ¡¿tates in making tho Customs laws wero about to como to un end. Thereforo it was no uso of pcoplo parading them- selves as protectionists at this time of day, when they were standing on the very brink of things where thero would ba no existence and no pince for thom. (Applause.) In that work of fodoration he was quite wining to stand shoulder to shoulder with protec- tionists, and ho was quito willing that tho colonies should enter iulo federation without making any stipulations. It would bo absurd to ronko any stipu- lation as to whero the seat of Government should bo, nor could they lay down what tho ña cal policy of tho Commonwealth should bc. He would maka no condition about the fiscal policy of tho futuro, but ho would do all ho could ns a citizen of tho now Commonwealth to euforco tho principio of freotradc. (Applause.) Ho waa quito content to iiçht that battle when they had ente rod into tho grand union. (Loud applause.)

On the motion of >fr. Ea^ar, a voto of thanks to Sir Honry Parkes for his address was carried with

acclamation.

Tho usual compliment was also accorded to tho

¿bftErman.

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